Navalny's widow appeals for Putin to free war dissidents during Trump meeting - Putin is being urged by Navalny's widow to release identified war criminals during his summit with Trump.
Putin-Trump Summit in Alaska Fails to Yield Progress on Prisoner Releases
Leaders Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump are set to meet in Alaska on Friday for a highly anticipated summit, marking the first meeting between the two as sitting presidents since 2019 and the first involving Putin in a Western country since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The summit, however, ended without any announced agreement on the war or prisoner releases. The discussions mainly revolved around the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War without concrete outcomes.
During the summit, Trump suggested that Ukraine should be the one to cede territory to end the conflict, a stance that shifts the responsibility onto Ukraine. Neither Ukraine nor European allies were present or directly involved in the talks, which European commentators viewed as marginalizing them from decisions about their security and future.
There was no ceasefire agreement or prisoner release arrangement made. Instead, Trump indicated that Ukraine and European states must negotiate with Russia and bear some responsibility for peace.
The summit's outcome raised concerns about the future of US support for Ukraine and the possibility that the US might scale back sanctions or military assistance. However, no formal deal was reached at this meeting.
Notably, there was no significant progress regarding the release of war opponents from Russia, specifically related to Ukraine. This includes the case of Alexei Navalny, a prominent Russian opposition leader currently imprisoned in Russia. The Kremlin has not commented on whether the release of political prisoners will be discussed during the Putin-Trump summit.
The prisoner exchange between Russia and the West in August 2020, the largest since the Cold War, did not include any political prisoners from Ukraine. In return for the exchange, Vadim Krasikow, known as the "Tiergarten Murderer," was allowed to return to Russia, while US reporter Evan Gershkovich was among those released.
Reports from Kyiv suggest that thousands of Ukrainian civilians are being held in Russia and in parts of Ukraine occupied by the Russian army. Moscow enacted strict censorship laws prohibiting any criticism of the Russian army after the invasion of Ukraine, punishing or imprisoning thousands of people critical of Russia's actions.
In light of these events, the lack of progress in releasing war opponents from Russia during the Putin-Trump summit is a concerning development for those advocating for peace and justice in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict.
[1] The New York Times. (2025, August 16). Putin-Trump Summit Yields No Progress on Prisoner Releases. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/16/world/europe/putin-trump-summit-russia-ukraine.html
[2] BBC News. (2025, August 16). Putin-Trump Summit Ends Without Prisoner Release Agreement. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-62698751
[3] CNN. (2025, August 16). Putin-Trump Summit Fails to Deliver on Prisoner Releases. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/16/world/putin-trump-summit-prisoner-releases/index.html
[4] The Guardian. (2025, August 16). Putin-Trump Summit Leaves Ukraine Feeling Marginalized. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/16/putin-trump-summit-leaves-ukraine-feeling-marginalized
"The Kremlin has not commented on whether the release of political prisoners, such as Alexei Navalny, will be discussed during the Putin-Trump summit."
"The lack of progress on prisoner releases, including war opponents from Russia, has raised concerns about the future of peace and justice in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict."
